Improvement iiss life-preserving beds



A. G. HASKELL.

I Life-Preserving Beds.

vNOII63'OHI 1 PatentedMaynnsv' THE GRAPHIC G0.PHOT0'LITH.39&4\ PARK PLAOEJLY.

ASA G. HASKELL, OF NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-PRESERVING BEDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 63,01 1, dated May ll, 1875; application filed March 24, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ASA Gr. HASKELL, of North Andover, of the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Life-Preserving Bed and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, of it as open. Fig. 4 is a top View of it as closed, for use as a bed or cushion.

The article hereinafter described answers not only as a bed or elastic seat for a person to repose or sit on, but as a life-preserver, it

being intended for use on shipboard, and for the saving of life and property in case of shipwreck or foundering of a vessel at sea, or of a person accidentally falling overboard.

It is composed mainly of a rectangular or other proper shaped floatable body, A, which I usually make of cork covered externally by a covering, a, of cloth, and four floatable cushions, 13 B O G, hinged to the sides of the body at their upper edges. The end cushions represented are right-angled triangular, and the side ones trapezoidal, in shape. Each of the said cushions I prefer to make hollow, airtight, and inflatable and to this end I combine with each a flexible and elastic pipe, b, to open out of it and extend from its middle to and through the body part A, and to open against an inflating mouth-piece, D, arranged at the center of the said body part. This mouth-piece (shown in Fig. 5 on an enlarged scale) consists of a cylindrical box provided with openings 0 c in its ends, and having within it a disk-valve, d, and also having a hole, 6, made through its side, all as shown. By revolving the mouth-piece so as to bring the hole 6 opposite or in connection with either pipe I), a person, by blowing into either hole 0, can inflate the cushion connected with said pipe 11. When air is being blown into either of the holes 0 c, the valve or disk dwill be against or be thrown against the other hole so as to cover or close it.

After the cushion may have been suitably inflated by turning the mouth-piece so as to plying the mouth directly to and blowing into i the opening 0 or d, by means of a pipe f, inserted and fitted therein. For holding such a pipe I usually make in each side of the body A a cavity, q, in which I place the pipe, and maintain it therein by a band, h, wound around it, the band at its ends being fastened to the body, or other suitable appliances may be used.

To enable one or more persons, when the bed may be in the water, to sustain themselves thereon, I usually apply to it, in manner as shown, one or more straps or bands, 2', going through the body part, buckled together and looped around each of the inflatable cushions. By such, the side cushions, by a person, 111 a be pulled out into a plane with the body, in case the bed when thrown into the water may rest bottom upward thereon, or the said cushions may be turned and kept at or about at right angles with the body, in order to convert the bed into a boat, or an approximation thereto.

In the drawings, two of said bands 13 are shown, each being provided with a buckle, k, at one end, and there are four slots or holes, lm n 0, made through the body to receive such bands or straps. Each band is first passed through one of the holes, thence to and transversely around the next adjacent side cushion, thence back through the same hole, thence across to the opposite next adjacent hole, thence through that hole and around the other cushion, and next back through the same hole, after which it is run through the first hole and buckled to the other band. In this way the bands become connected on the opposite sides of the body A, whereby a person when on either side may operate or take up or let out both bands, as circumstances may require.

I claim- 1. The life-preserving bed, composed of the fioatable body A, and series of cushions B B, 3. The strap or straps i, combined and ar hinged together and arranged as specified. ranged with the floatable body A, and series 2. The combination of the rotary mouthof cushions B B, substantially as described.

piece D, and the series of pipes or conduits b, ASA G. HASKELL.

with the body A, and its series of inflatable Witnesses:

cushions, arranged and combined substan- R. H. EDDY,

tially as explained. S. N. PIPER. 

